Operation: True Love
by Kaslyna
Summary: Henry's always wanted his parents together, but what happens when it's not Neal and Emma but Emma and Regina? How will he cope? An AU in which there are no magic beans and Tamara's Neal's loving fiance. Swan Queen, with minor Swan Thief; mostly in the past. K for now; will go to M later.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Starting this because I must. Because it wouldn't leave me the hell alone. :/ I cannot promise good updating schedules because I have college visits and SATs and finals and I really am quite busy. But I promise to try my very best. :) This is rated K+ for now; later, it will bump to an M rating. I will post warnings when that's going to happen and if I can figure out line breaks in Office 2010, I'll break it up so you can skip that part. I'll try not to do too much plot development between the sheets. ;) Also, this is semi-AU in that Tamara is NOT evil but is actually Neal's loving fiancé and that there are no magic beans. Canon will be inserted too of course. It's Swan Queen. With hints of Swan Thief, though not for very long.**

**Disclaimer: I own zilch. Surprise surprise!**

It starts with a blind date. Or at least, that's what her mother calls it when she begs Emma to go. Honestly, Emma should have not even considered it; she suspects it's never a good thing to go on a blind date set up by her mother. But because it's her mother she feels obligated to do so, and that's how she ends up in a navy blue sundress and heels at Granny's diner, waiting for her date.

It only shocks her a little, really, when her so-called 'date' ends up being Neal. She rolls her eyes and mutters under her breath, "You have _got_ to be freaking kidding me!"

"Emma?" he sounds surprised, "Your mom told me I was supposed to meet Henry here so why are you…" he trails off as the implication sets in, "Oh. OH. Oh, my God. I am so so so sorry! If I'd known… well, now that we're here, why don't we try and make the best of it?"

Emma swallows down her anger; it's not his fault her mother's literally living in a fairytale, "No, um, that's quite alright. I think I'll just… go. If that's okay with you?"

"Yeah, no! Of course. Of course that's okay," he blushes a little, "You know… I had absolutely nothing to do with this, right? I wouldn't… I mean it'd be great, but Tamara and I…"

"Save it. I understand," Emma grits out, "Look, I'm leaving. You can do whatever you'd like with your evening. As long as it doesn't involve me."

With that, Emma stands, leaving in a furious hurry. She storms out of the diner, walking without a direction. All she knows is she doesn't want to go home yet; there's no way in hell she could stand to be around her mother right now. In all honesty, it doesn't surprise her nearly enough when she ends up in front of the former mayoral mansion. What does surprise her, however, is when she goes up and angrily rings the bell. She realizes what she's done only too late, as the sound of heels on wood flooring makes itself known behind Regina's door.

"Miss Swan," she greets her coolly, "What are you doing here? Is Henry all right?"

"He's fine," she growls, "Of course he's freaking fine!"

"What're you doing here, then?" Regina asks, flames in her obsidian eyes at Emma's tone of voice.

"My mother," Emma sighs, running a hand through her hair, "My goddamn mother. I know she means well, but God I swear… sometimes she's so freaking delusional, you know? And I don't know how or why I ended up here, only that I did and it's too late to back out of this now without seeming crazy, or rude, or both, and I'm really very sorry."

Regina's lips quirk up into a smile, "Well. Since you're both very rude and very crazy, you now have two options. Either leave now, or continue to tell me how your mother is delusional. So which will it be?"

"It's just… she told me she found this great guy and that she'd set up a blind date at Granny's and it really wasn't fair of me to say no because hey, I'm not really seeing anyone and she's my mom and she deserves to drive me crazy with that kind of stuff. But then I show up, expect a decent enough date, and bam! It's Neal who's shown up. Apparently mom convinced him to meet Henry at the diner," Emma huffs, rolling her eyes, "He obviously fell for it. I swear, he can be such a freaking idiot sometimes! And then he's babbling and I know this night's already blown to hell so I left and freaked out because I didn't want to go home and suddenly I was here and I'd already rung your doorbell and for whatever unknown reason, you answered it. So that's it, really."

Emma is surprised when Regina smiles; it's a genuine smile, and Emma has a feeling that the former mayor would be chuckling right now not given her company. Emma feels a fluttering in her chest; nervousness is not uncommon around the other woman, but she's never felt this way before. It's her smile, she thinks; it's as powerful and irresistible as the woman who wields it.

"What are you going to do?" Regina asks, and it's such a silly question, really; Emma has a good feeling the other woman doesn't really care, but that she doesn't have much better to do besides indulging in Emma's temporary insanity.

"I don't know," Emma shrugs, "Go home, I guess. Avoid my mom until I can't, then demand an explanation. Tell her that there's a better chance in hell I'd get together with, I dunno, Grumpy, or even you, then with Neal again."

Regina's heart stutters foolishly and she smirks, regaining her composure quickly after Emma's little analogy. What is it about this woman that makes her feel so naïve again? She hasn't felt stirring in her heart since before Daniel was killed.

"Well then, have a good night I suppose," Regina finally says.

Emma smiles a little, "Thanks, I guess. And you know, thanks for indulging me. I appreciate it. Hey, why don't I bring Henry over sometime? I think it'd be good for you both. I'll ask him when it works for him."

Regina's smile falters, "Don't get your hopes up, dear."

With that, Emma nods, smiles shyly, and leaves. Regina stands out on her porch for a full five minutes, wondering about the conversation that she just had with Emma, before she goes inside and up to her son's room. She curls up on the bed, as she often does these days, and hopes against all odds that her son will want to see her.

She doubts that he will at all.

When Emma gets home, Henry's the only one in. He's sitting on the couch, pouring over some book that's required reading for his entire class. She smiles a little, proud of his studiousness; she's not entirely sure who the hell he got that from, but she'll most certainly take it any day.

"Hey, kiddo," she greets warmly.

He looks up from his book and grins before asking, "So. How was your date?"

Emma frowns, "Did you have a part in this?"

"Duh! Of course I did, silly! Why wouldn't I want my parents back together?" Henry exclaims, brow furrowing in confusion at the notion that Emma hadn't enjoyed herself or wanted to get back together with his father. It was only natural, of course; Baelfire, or Neal, was Emma's one true love, and true loves needed to stick together, no matter what.

"Henry…" Emma sighs, frustrated as she sits down next to him, "That was a long, long time ago, and things have changed a lot since then. Neal has Tamara now, and they both love each other very much. I can't and won't try to change or stop that. I've moved on from that part of my life. I don't want to go back and I'd appreciate it if you'd just drop it. Please."

"But, you're his true love! And you're made to be together. You can't have a baby if you're not in love and want to spend the rest of your lives together," he was obviously confused, and her heart wrenched at his innocence. She never remembered _ever_ being so innocent.

"Henry, that's not how it always works… sometimes…"

"Wait. So you weren't in love?"

"Of course I was! Nevermind what I said. But it was a long, long time ago and he made a mistake and hurt me really bad, Henry. I can't get over that. I won't stop him being in your life, but I can't and won't go back to him. Ever," she tells him firmly, a fierceness in her voice that he's rarely heard directed at him before.

It's then that the door creaks open and in comes Emma's smiling parents. David smiles shyly at her, nods once; her mother's grin stretches ear to ear, and she's beaming, positively bursting out of herself in an effort to contain her excitement.

"So, how'd it go, Emma?" she asks, unable to stand waiting for details any longer. David shoots her a warning look but she ignores it.

"Really, mom? Neal? Whose idea was this anyway? You can't just freaking expect me to let him waltz back into my life like nothing's freaking happened! And he's getting married for God's sake!" Emma lashes out, anger bubbling to the surface. Why can't people just leave her the hell alone for once about Neal? It was so long ago. It's no longer a big deal, except it is and always will be because of Henry.

"I just thought it might be nice… and Henry, he just wants both his parents to be happy…" Snow's happiness bursts, and she frowns, "What happened?"

"I left, that's what happened! I am happy, mom. Why can't you see that? And Neal's happy, too. He's got Tamara and they're getting married in freaking February, on Valentine's Day, and let me tell you, you don't marry just anyone on freaking Valentine's Day!"

Everyone is shocked at Emma's outburst, including Emma herself. David and Henry excuse themselves, both suddenly wanting ice cream. Snow is dumbfounded, shocked, and more than a little hurt. Emma, too, realizes that she's out of line and sighs.

"I'm sorry, mom," she mumbles sheepishly, "It's just… yeah, I'm a little hurt and more than a little angry that he gets a freaking happily ever after, but that doesn't mean that I want him back. I can't go back, mom. It just won't work anymore. I'll let him be in Henry's life, but that's it. I trust Regina more than I trust Neal. Okay?"

Snow swallows, nods, "Okay."

Emma sighs again, mutters another apology, and stomps upstairs to her room. She lies down on her bed, sullen and upset. Sure, she's jealous, but not because she wants Neal. It's because she's still choking on his dust, and he's living a dream.

And she just can't take that.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of line breaks. Word hates me. D: I'm very inspired now. ^^**

**Disclaimer: Same as before-nada.**

**SQSQSQ**

It's three days later, and Emma has a surprise for Regina.

She'd convinced Henry, once school had been given off for a snow day, to spend the time with Regina. He'd agreed on the condition that Emma be there, and Emma had agreed easily, happy to comply. They'd decided to surprise Regina by showing up around 3:30 for a night of movies and dinner made by Emma. She knows they'll be imposing, but she also knows that Regina's really got nothing better to do, so why the hell not?

Emma had quickly stopped by the store, buying the ingredients for her not-so-world-famous, most-definitely-out-of-a-box Hamburger Helper: Hamburger Helper, of course; beef; and lastly, a mild hot sauce that definitely adds to the taste. Henry agrees, and that's what matters. She just hopes Miss-Picky-Probably-a-Gourmet-Chef agrees, too. Or is at the very least in a good mood and therefore polite enough not to comment if she doesn't. Whatever.

She'd also let Henry pick out a movie; they end up with the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (she refuses to include the last one, which she hasn't seen and doesn't really care about too much). All in all, it's the makings of a very good night. That is, if Regina decides to let them in.

They end up taking till four; Henry bounces up the steps of Regina's well-manicured lawn to ring the bell. The door is answered, and Regina's smile _does things_ to Emma's stomach. She swallows; ignores the strange, fluttery feeling in her stomach.

"Hey, mom! We thought we'd drop by," Henry grins happily, "Emma's gonna cook dinner and we'll watch three of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies! They're really cool and stuff. I think you'll like them a lot."

"Really, now?" a displeased expression settles on Regina's pretty face, her lips pursing slightly in dismay at the news she won't get her son to herself.

"Oh, don't worry," Emma huffs, rolling her eyes, "We'll watch the first movie. Then I'll cook and you can look at the comic books David bought Henry. Hopefully you'll agree that there's a fine line between a little violence and gore not suitable for kids his age. Then we can eat; you two can clean up, and we'll finish the last two movies."

"Gore?" Regina quirks an eyebrow, "What in the hell comic books is he letting Henry read?"

"The Walking Dead," Henry pipes in, "It's really, really awesome! There's zombies and stuff, and it's just really neat."

Emma looks pointedly at Regina, "You'll see what I mean. Now, let's watch the first movie, if that's okay?"

Regina nods, "I suppose. Come inside, I guess."

"Thanks," Emma says, stopping Regina with a gentle hand on her forearm, "I really appreciate that you're letting me stay."

"Not like I have a choice," Regina's lips quirk up in a facsimile of a smile.

"You do, and we both know it," Emma looks dead into her eyes, "Don't deny it. But if it's okay with you, I'd like to put the food in the kitchen."  
"Sure. Is any of it refrigerated?"

Emma snorts, "Of course not. I'm not exactly a chef."

Regina softens a little, "I could give you lessons, if you'd like. No apples, I promise."

Emma chuckles a little, smiles faintly, "That might be nice. We'll talk about it later. Now, let's not keep our son waiting."

Regina nods, leads her inside to the kitchen. Emma dumps the things on the counter, grabbing the first movie and making her way into Regina's game room; she's not surprised she has one, pool table and all. She pops the movie into the DVD player and hits 'play'.

**SQSQSQ**

At around 6:30, their first movie is done, and Emma leaves to cook, letting her son and her son's other mother bond over zombie comics. Honestly, she doesn't think they're right for him, and she told her dad so. But he'd gotten so attached. She knows it's not very fair to let Regina be the bad guy, but at least this way they can work something out together. A solution, a compromise; whatever happens, she wants for him to stay away from those damn comics.

It doesn't take too long for Emma to make dinner. Within half an hour she's calling them to eat. Regina gives her a look that says she clearly agrees with Emma's concerns over the comics. They settle down to eat. It's a quiet affair, save for Henry's endless chatter.

After, Emma settles herself in the dining room while Regina and Henry clean up. By eight they're ready for the next two movies; Henry settles in between them on the couch and they're off.

Hours later, an exhausted Emma and an asleep Henry leave, Emma thanking Regina quietly. She smiles softly at the other woman.

"Maybe I'll take you up on your offer of cooking lessons," Emma begins tentatively, "I could use them."

"Your cooking was fine, dear," Regina assures her.

"All the same, it'd be nice not to rely on a box," Emma frowns a little before admitting, "Sometimes I feel like such a bad mother because the only homecooked thing I can make is spaghetti in olive oil. That's not really an accomplishment, now is it?"

"No, it's not," Regina agrees, her tone teasing, "What time works for you?"

"Sundays are generally pretty slow to begin with," Emma says, "Maybe ten o'clock in the morning? My dad can probably cover for me for up to three hours on a Sunday."

"Ten o'clock it is," Regina agrees, "I'll be waiting. We'll start simple, don't worry."

"No apples," Emma frowns sternly.

"No apples," Regina confirms, an easy smirk on her face. It's the first time anyone's joked with her about it, even halfheartedly. She finds she quite likes it.

With that, Emma leaves, a smile on her face that she just can't shake. It was a good day, even if Henry stayed up way past his bedtime. In fact, strangely enough, she's even looking forward to her cooking lesson with Regina come Sunday.

At least she'll actually have something to do.

**SQSQSQ**

She puts Henry in the twin bed across the room from hers; it's not ideal, but it'll do. She smiles fondly at him, kisses his forehead, and tiptoes downstairs. Her mom's asleep, but her dad's not, and she grins as she greets him with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"How was your day?" he asks, genuinely wanting to know; it's still foreign to her.

"Great. We had dinner and watched movies with Regina. She agrees that those comics are too adult for him, by the way. I'm seeing her again on Sunday for a cooking lesson," Emma informs him.

He chuckled softly, "Sorry. How do we get them away from him?"

Emma shrugs, "Who knows? I'm kind of new to this, too, dad."

"Right. Sorry, I forget sometimes that you're just as new to parenting as I am. Strange, isn't it?" he sighs.

"Indeed," Emma agrees, faking a yawn, "Well, sorry, but I think I need to sleep now. Night, dad."

"Night."

She goes upstairs again, glass of water she wanted forgotten in favor of her bed. She finds, oddly enough, that she is in fact exhausted. She collapses into bed and waits for sleep, hoping it comes both quickly and peacefully.

She has good dreams that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm feeling very inspired! Yay! I apologize for any OOCness in this story. It's my first in the Once Upon a Time fandom so please be gentle. :)**

**Disclaimer: Still nope. :/**

**SQSQSQ**

She doesn't tell anyone where's she's going on Sunday. She does tell her dad that she'll be gone for three hours or so and to not worry about her. He accepts it and lets her go without another question, though she's sure she'll have to answer to him later. For right now, she quietly thanks him and takes her leave.

The drive to the mayoral mansion is quick, and she's a little nervous as she climbs onto Regina's porch and rings the bell. Within minutes the other woman opens the door, frowns a little at her, and wordlessly allows her to enter her home. Emma steps in, nods once gratefully, and as always, takes in her surroundings.

She follows Regina into the kitchen, nervously shifting from foot to foot. Regina frowns a little at Emma's behavior but lets it go. She's not willing to lose a chance to have someone to talk to, even if the company's not ideal. It's still better than nothing, which is the norm for her nowadays. Oh well.

"So. What are we making?" Emma asks to break the tense silence that's settled upon them.

"I thought we'd start… simple. Chocolate chip cookies okay?"

"Yeah, no sure. That's fine. Whatever," Emma agrees with a grin. Regina smiles briefly in return before rummaging through her pantry and fridge for ingredients.

The two women cook in silence. It's awkward and Emma finds herself both wishing to leave and wanting to stay longer. All in all, it's a good three hours that pass by too quickly for her liking. After, she leaves with a plate of cookies that everyone at home enjoys. She claims she made them; she did, after all, help.

Regina had agreed to let Emma come over again the next Sunday, and she admits to her father that night that she's taking cooking lessons on Sundays. He smiles and agrees that that is a good idea.

Emma goes to bed happy that night.

**SQSQSQ**

Three more lessons go by much the same way, with Emma diligently listening and learning from Regina. She learns in that time to make spaghetti and meatballs, guacamole, and a delicious salmon dish marinated in olive oil and lemon juice that leaves both her parents groaning from eating too much. Henry smiles more, liking this new, more domestic side of Emma. He thinks maybe she's doing it so she can try to be with Neal again, though he doesn't dare to bring that thought up to anyone.

This time they're making a caprese salad and Regina's delicious lasagna. She's been begging her since two weeks prior to let her make it, and Regina's finally caved. Either that or she doesn't want to listen to Emma's whining about it any longer. Either way, Emma's pretty damn happy that she's going to be able to make the lasagna for herself anytime she wants to.

Not that she can make it for her family. They'll know who she's getting cooking lessons from, and that's not a conversation she's ready for just yet. In time, she knows she'll have to tell them, but for now she's content keeping it to herself. Regina isn't bad company, Emma finds; she's just very lonely. In the kitchen, Regina's transformed. She's younger, practically glowing in that way people do when they're very good at something and feel comfortable with it. Emma's grateful to be allowed to see this side of her but doesn't dare comment on it lest it fade away.

For her part, Regina doesn't mind Emma's visits that much. For one, movie nights with Henry have become a weekly thing on Wednesdays. For another, it's nice to have another adult to talk to, no matter how brief or shallow the conversation may be. She finds herself smiling a lot more and she's generally content with her life. She doubts she'll ever be truly happy, but she'll take what she can get and right now she's got it pretty damn good.

She'll never admit it, but she actually looks forward to their lessons. She finds herself actually enjoying the time spent with Emma. She's also never taught her lasagna recipe to anyone, and finds herself nervous and excited. She knows Emma loves it; she just hopes it turns out okay today. She doesn't know why, but she finds she wants to impress Emma. That scares her so she tries not to dwell too much on it. Best to leave that alone.

Emma shows up promptly at ten, and as usual Regina greets her, "Hello. Come inside."

Emma plays her part, too, "Sure. Thanks. What're we making today?"

"Caprese salad and my lasagna," Regina answers, unable to conceal the small smile at the grin that spreads slowly across Emma's face at her words.

"Really? Awesome," Emma replies and Regina chuckles a little.

"Did you just giggle?" Emma accuses, bewildered.

Regina swallows, "I might have."

Emma laughs then, and it's a sound that brings a smile to Regina's face for an unknown reason. Emma's pretty when she laughs; more bearable.

They go to the kitchen, where they start on the lasagna. Once it's in the oven, Regina begins to teach Emma how to make a caprese salad to go with it.

"Tomato, mozzarella, basil leaf. A drizzle of olive oil and a drop of balsamic. Salt and pepper to taste, but not too much. Trust me," Regina instructs. Emma nods and does as she's told, and pretty soon they have a decent looking salad.

It tastes pretty decent, too. Emma's certainly getting better. Regina is both proud and pleased. It's nice to know that she's actually doing something to help someone. She smiles a little as they eat their salad.

Once they've finished the salad, they have some time before the lasagna's done and decide to preview the movie Henry wants to watch Wednesday. 30 minutes in, the lasagna is done and they've both agreed it's far too violent for him. Regina promises to find a more suitable option instead, and Emma agrees to let her.

They take out the lasagna and let it cool briefly before digging in. Regina asks if Emma wants leftovers and she regretfully declines, telling her she hasn't told her parents she's the one she's getting cooking lessons from just yet.

Regina frowns a little but nods in understanding. She knows why people keep secrets and figures this is a good enough reason as any. Even still, it bothers her and she doesn't know why. That bothers her more than anything else.

After Emma leaves, Regina wonders what was nagging at the back of her brain all day. With a start, she realizes it was so _normal_, her routinely lesson with Emma. Domestic, even. No fighting. They'd actually managed to enjoy themselves. That unsettles her a bit. Restless, she decides to go for a walk.

**SQSQSQ**

Half an hour after she gets home, there's a rapid, frantic knocking on the door. Rolling her eyes, Emma gets up. When she answers it, she's never been gladder Neal has Henry for the day and her mom and dad are at the station.

"Regina. What are you doing here?"

"May I come in?"

"Yeah, sure. Of course," Emma steps aside to let the other woman in.

"Thanks," Regina purses her lips.

"So… what _are_ you doing here, Regina? Not that I really mind but it's kind of unexpected, you know?"

"I just realized… we're civil now. Almost… friends. And I needed to confirm it," Regina admits shyly.

Emma swallows, "I guess you're my friend. Isn't that a good thing?"

Regina exhales slowly, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is."

Emma smiles softly, "Let's go for a walk. I'll walk you home even."

Regina smiles a little, "I think I'd like that. Thanks."

"No problem. Let me just grab my coat," Emma says, going to do just that.

The walk to Regina's mansion is pleasant. Neither speaks much, and while it still feels awkward, it also feels right to do this. When they reach the mansion, both secretly don't really want to say goodbye to the other just yet.

"Goodbye, Miss Swan," Regina finds it in herself to let go.

"Bye," Emma smiles shyly.

Then, before she can talk herself out of it, she gently places her arms around the former mayor. She doesn't hold on too long; just enough, and then she's gone, leaving a very confused and stiff Regina in her wake. Regina watches her go forlornly and wonders why, exactly, she wishes Emma would come back and never stop holding her. She figures she'll never really find out why she wants that. But somehow, that's okay.

More than okay, even. Because Emma is warm and alive and real. And Regina is selfish, so very selfish. She wants to keep Emma to herself.

Safe. Protected.

That scares her more than anything.


End file.
